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Department for Transport: Public Relations

Asked by Greg SmithConservativeDepartment for TransportTabled Answered 7 July 2026UIN 14426

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has issued any directions to its arm's length bodies on limiting expenditure on public affairs, government relations or lobbying activity since 4 July 2024.

Answered by Simon Lightwood

Accounting Officers of DfT public bodies are bound by Managing Public Money and Cabinet Office guidance. The Department reminds individual bodies, as necessary, of these rules and the expectations set out in section 4.1 of the Code of Conduct for Board Members of Public Bodies (2019), which states, 'it will always be an improper use of public funds for public bodies to employ consultants or other companies to lobby Parliament, Government or political parties'.

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